GE, AT&T ink smart city deal around Current's CityIQ sensors

AT&T has signed a deal with GE to install its Current CityIQ sensors onto streetlights in various US cities, beginning with San Diego, Calif. The two corporations say smart street lighting will help cities monitor things like traffic patterns, parking, air quality, weather emergencies, and even gun violence on city streets.

As part of the agreement, GE plans to install Current's CityIQ sensor nodes on 3,200 street light poles across San Diego as the city upgrades 14,000 light fixtures to Current's Evolve LED luminaires. AT&T will act as the data carrier and provide "highly secure connectivity" for the San Diego deployment, according to a press release.

"Intelligent lighting plays a huge role in a smart city," said Chris Penrose, president of IoT solutions for AT&T. "Our collaboration with Current will enable us to use a city's existing lighting infrastructure to more securely connect sensor-enabled networks. This will put them on the path to becoming a smarter, more sustainable city."

David Graham, San Diego's chief deputy officer, said the current installation plans are only the beginning for the project, which could be expanded with another 3,000 sensor points later this year. The smart streetlights are just part of a $30 million upgrade to the city's lighting system, which could reduce San Diego's energy costs by up to $2.4 million annually.

For AT&T, the project builds off of the company's Smart Cities organization it launched in 2015, which aims to create a framework for cities looking to develop holistic smart cities strategies. The deal also builds on AT&T's membership in GE's Digital Alliance program, where it serves as a connectivity-as-a-service collaborator for GE's Predix platform.